US says upcoming Indian Premier state visit 'not about China'

WASHINGTON

China does not figure into the decision to host Indian Prime Minister Narendra for a prestigious state visit, the White House said Tuesday amid markedly strained US-Sino relations and increasing great power competition.

Asked about the two-day visit, replete with pomp and circumstance, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said it "is not about China."

"It's not about sending a message to China. It really is all about the bilateral relationship with India, and posturing that relationship for a future that we believe is very, very bright and that we believe is going to be significantly tied to the burgeoning relationship that we know we're having with India" Kirby told reporters during a news conference.

"It's really about sending a message to the Indian people that we put a premium on this relationship. We know how important it is going to be to the future," he added.

Kirby said New Delhi is a "strategic partner" for the US and will continue to be "for decades to come."

The US and India are half of a multilateral security and diplomatic arrangement, alongside Australia and Japan, that has grown in prominence in recent years as Washington seeks to build regional relationships in the Indo-Pacific to counterbalance China.

While the group's leaders have emphasized that it is short of a formal alliance, there has been increasing cooperation among member states on a range of topics, including security and economic matters.

There have been disagreements between Washington and New Delhi, however, including India's stated neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war and a decision to continue to purchase oil from the Kremlin amid the conflict with Ukraine.

Kirby sought to play down the disputes, saying India continues to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and noted that Modi has "spoken publicly about his concerns about what's going on in the war."

"India is a sovereign nation. Prime Minister Modi is their elected leader. He gets to speak for the Indian people. We're grateful for the humanitarian assistance that they provided Ukraine," he said.

He added that Washington hopes India continues to purchase Russian oil "in conjunction with the price cap, which is in place, and they are, and they have, and we hope they'll continue to do that."